A Fighter's Empathy
by Logan GC
Summary: After the fifth Dead or Alive tournament, Eliot is given a break from his training to go back home in the United Kingdom for a few days. Though he has doubts about himself and his feelings for a certain ninja. Luckily for him, another fighter understands what he is going through.


**Author's Notes:** I do not own anything related to **Dead or Alive**. All characters and respective media belongs to **Team Ninja**. I only own the story. Story takes place after the events as seen in _Dead or Alive 5_. Enjoy.

"Another glass of milk, please."

The polite request came from Eliot, the young practitioner of Xing Yi Quan sitting in a bar in his home country, the United Kingdom. After returning back to China from the Dead or Alive tournament, his master Gen Fu had introduced the young man to a new fighting regimen, Xinyi Luihe Quan. The British blonde felt himself pushed to his limits as his master did not lie the training would be more arduous than before. Though one day, Gen Fu had allowed Eliot to return home for several days, a gift of appreciation for how dedicated the boy was to his training. Though, Eliot's companion Brad Wong wanted to accompany the teenager, eager to satiate his thirst for Western alcohol.

Speaking of Brad, Eliot slightly turned his head to gaze at the silver-haired, Zui Quan master passed out drunk on the counter. The blonde had the urge to chuckle seeing Brad snore like a hog while drool leaked from his mouth, his breath smelling like different kinds of liquor.

The bartender nodded at the boy's order, taking out a milk jug from the miniature refrigerator and began pouring the dairy product into Eliot's glass. Looking between him and the passed out Brad, the bartender looked concerned. "Are you sure your friend is okay, son?" The bartender asked, refilling Eliot's glass before placing the milk back in the fridge.

Eliot nodded. "He'll be fine. It's always like this when he drags me to every bar within a one-yard radius." Eliot explained before sighing. "And I'm the one who winds up paying for everything the end anyway, even though I'm not old enough to drink." The blonde muttered in annoyance that Brad always does this.

At hearing Eliot's reply, the bartender chuckled. "He reminds me of this bloke who lived in my apartment. Always drinking, never paying the bill. Got into fights." The barkeep rambled, causing Eliot to grin.

"Well, he's a good fighter himself, when he's sober enough." Eliot added, knowing full well that Brad is a force to be reckoned with, drunk or not.

The bartender nodded. "Would you want to pay now?" The older man asked, holding out the receipt. Eliot nodded, drinking from his glass as he took the bill from the barkeep. Seeing the price almost made the British boy's heart sank, cursing at Brad under his breath for essentially ordering the entire bar.

"I wonder how you haven't suffered alcohol poisoning yet." Eliot grumbled towards his unconscious partner, giving the pounds to the bartender. The older man walked away, going to the back to place the money away and leaving Eliot to wait for his drunken compatriot to wake up.

With Eliot alone in his thoughts, the British boy thought of the recent Dead or Alive tournament. This year, he was so sure he would have won with how dedicated he was in his training. Though, he ultimately lost to Hitomi at the semifinals. Still, Eliot had no ill will towards the Japanese-German karate practitioner. She won fair and square and Eliot did the best he could. However on some days, Eliot wished he could have won the whole tournament and impress the kunoichi he has a crush on.

Ayane. From her lavender colored hair to her almost crimson eyes, Eliot felt himself reddening at imagining Japanese ninja's beauty. Though whenever he wanted to talk to the kunoichi, Ayane couldn't stay for long. Something between her duties as a ninja and saving the world. Eliot then sighed in resignation. Is he falling for someone over nothing? Ayane has a dedication for her clan, he doubts she has time to hang out with some outsider. An outsider Eliot knew himself that she is out of his league to begin with.

Drinking some milk to calm his self-doubts, Eliot shook his head. He really wanted to go outside. Putting his green coat over his Union Jack T-shirt, Eliot nudged Brad's shoulder. "Brad, come on. We should go." The British boy requested but all he got was a quiet snore in return. Eliot shook Brad more firmly. "Brad, we've been here for two hours." Eliot exclaimed more loudly, though the silver-haired man mumbled to continue sleeping in a barely conscious slur. Frustrated, Eliot stormed outside to get some air, hoping the cool breeze would clear his mind from self-doubt of his feelings for Ayane and the smell of bar.

Leaning against the wall, Eliot lowered his head and exhaled, ignoring passing bystanders and allowing the London air to calm his nerves. To be honest, he was glad that Master Fu allowed him to go back. Granted, Eliot got annoyed that the first thing Brad wanted to do was drink at the nearest bar, the blonde felt a sense of tranquility. As much as he wanted to continue his training in China, maybe Eliot was pushing himself too hard. Maybe Master Fu was right, a few days at home could help him relax his mind for the arduous days of practice to come.

Eliot was so lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize his name was spoken by another person multiple times. "Eliot? Eliot? Hello, are you on Mars right now?" Hearing the teasing portion by the end of the question snapped Eliot back into reality, the blonde now turning his face to the speaker.

"Hitomi?" Eliot asked in surprise, noticing the Eurasian girl's amused grin. The British boy noticed she wore a green and grey jacket with blue jeans. Her brown hair was kept in place with a pink headband, allowing Eliot to stare at her blue-grey eyes. Eliot never realized how deep her eyes were…

He must have been looking too long as Hitomi's grin grew wider. "Are you just going to keep staring? Not that I don't mind or anything." The karate practitioner asked, and chuckled when Eliot began to redden in embarrassment.

"Oh…uh, sorry. I've… I was just surprised, that's all." Eliot replied, shaking his head for acting like an idiot. Composing himself, he continues. "What are you doing here in the UK? I didn't know there is another tournament." The British teen asked in confusion.

Hitomi shook her head. "Well, not exactly. Jann Lee is practicing here for an upcoming exhibition match back in China. Leifang wanted to know where he is, so I… kinda… helped her out." The Eurasian girl replied before sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

Eliot crossed his arms and raised a brow in amusement or concern, or both. "So, you're helping Leifang stalk Jann." The British boy clarified, noticing Hitomi's reddened cheeks.

"I mean technically, _she's_ the one stalking him." Hitomi defended herself, realizing that her answer didn't really help with the reasoning behind it all. "I just… tagged along." She finished, slightly embarrassed as the college student tugged at her sleeves. "Leifang told me that since I helped her, I get to walk around a bit, see some of the sights." The recent finalist added, hoping to change this awkward subject as soon as possible. "What about you? You wanted to visit home for a few days?" The German-Japanese girl asked.

Eliot lowered his arms and nodded. "Master Fu said I earned a little break. And honestly, I am grateful. The training can be very rigorous." The blonde teen explained before giving a glance to the bar behind him. "I just wish the first place we went to wasn't a bar." Eliot mumbled, with Hitomi giving a glace to the building behind him.

"Let me guess, Brad is in there?" She asked in amusement as Eliot turned his head back to the karate expert.

"Yeah. I'm just waiting for him to sober up." Eliot replied before lowering his head, remembering his thoughts about Ayane at the bar while Brad is in drunken heaven.

Seeing Eliot's demeanor shift in a more saddening look, Hitmoi's eyes soften at the blonde. "You okay?" The college student asked, her voice slightly concerned.

Not wanting to look even more like an idiot, Eliot attempted her dismiss her question. "It-It's nothing. I was just…" Eliot paused, stammering to come up with an answer. "I was just…" He repeated, trying to ignore the urge to think a certain pink-haired kunoichi again.

"It's Ayane." Hitomi spoke out, getting the British teen's attention by saying her name. "You're thinking about Ayane, right?" She repeated as Eliot nodded.

"Yeah." He replied softly. "I want to be with her, it's just…" Eliot paused, wondering why he hasn't stopped himself from continuing. "It's just, I doubt she has time for me. She's a ninja, doing whatever it is ninjas do. Clearly, I'm not like her." The British fighter finished, lowering his head as Hitmoi gazes at Eliot in understanding.

"I get it too." The Eurasian girl replied, getting the other teen's attention. "I want to be with Ein…" Hitomi paused. "I mean Hayate." She corrected herself, remembering an amnesiac young man who stumbled into her life with no memory of who he was. Crossing her arms, Hitomi continues. "I ran into Hayate at the tournament. He wished me luck." She added with a slight smile before frowning slightly. "But yeah, I understand Eliot."

For a few minutes there was silence, the two young martial artists internally contemplating their feelings for each of their respective ninjas. Hitomi knew what Eliot meant, wishing to be with someone only things just end up in the way. On some days, it was frustrating. On others, it gave her doubt that she will never be with Hayate. The duo continues to stand, lost in their thoughts ignoring the weather, people, and noise that echoed around them.

Suddenly Hitomi spoke, ending the silence as a glint appeared in her eyes. "Hey, wanna spar?" She randomly asked and grinned at Eliot's surprised reaction.

"Wait, here? Now?" Eliot asked incredulously, his response causing the Eurasian girl to burst out giggling. "I don't think its highly appropriate for that in a public space." The blonde added, looking at bystanders passing them by. Hitomi's giggling grew louder at the unintended double entendre and at Eliot's innocence.

"No, not here you goof." Hitomi replied, lightly tapping the British teen's chest as Eliot reddened in realization at his answer. "Let's spar somewhere with less people. You say you've trained better since the tournament, I wanna see for myself." The karate practitioner simply reasoned as Eliot gave a disbelieving glance between her and the bar. "And besides, I'm bored." She added with a shrug.

"W-what about Brad?" Eliot asked, pointing his thumb towards the building.

Hitomi waved it off like there is no problem. "You said he's passed out, right?" The brunette asked which the British teen nodded. "Then he's fine. By the time we'll come back, he'll sober up." The karate practitioner reassured the young man.

"But... I didn't finish my milk." Eliot weakly attempted to protest only to yelp when Hitomi started to drag him away from the bar.

* * *

The two young marital artists eventually found a secluded area in a park near a large tree, it's branches and foliage providing a large shadow on them. Eliot removed his coat and placed it near the trunk of the tree, not wanting it to get dirty as he was more comfortable sparring with his T-shirt. Hitomi thought similarly, leaving her jacket next to his as she too wore a T-shirt. Each of them stood ten feet away from each other and prepared for the fight.

Eliot bowed his head as he placed his fist into his palm, a traditional opening stance and a gesture of respect from his preferred fighting style. "I''m ready." He answered as he took a combat stance.

Hitomi gave a challenging smirk, tightening her head band before she too a stance of her own. "Come at me then." She replied, waiting for Eliot to strike first.

The British teen answered by rushing forward with an outward fist at her stomach. The karate practitioner dodged the attack and replied with an axe kick, hoping to catch Eliot off-guard. To her surprise, Eliot reacted quicker than she expected by blocking her leg with his arm. The Xing Yi Quan practitioner countered with a forward palm, pushing Hitomi back a few feet away.

The karate expert gave Eliot an impressed look. "Your reflexes have gotten better." She noted as Eliot gave a confident grin.

"Master Fu has taught me well." The British teen replied, having the utmost respect for his teacher.

A dangerous grin then formed the Eurasian girl's face. "Good, in that case I won't go easy on you." She replied and before Eliot had the chance to respond, his field of vision was blurred with a series of punches and kicks placing him on the defensive. The air disappeared from each strike the two fighters attempted to land a hit on the other. The world around them did not exist, their complete concentration only on the fight in progress.

As they continued their series of exchanges, Eliot and Hitomi acknowledged each other's capabilities. A silent respect was exchanged between them as the fight escalated. Their assessments on the other gave subtle hints; a grin at a successful strike to the abdomen, a yelp of surprise from an unexpected back kick, a look of shock from an attack not seen before in their previous battle. As the fight progressed, so was the intensity and drive to win. Both combatants started to use the environment around them for potential advantages, such as Hitomi luring him on looser soil to trip off his footing or Eliot kicking her to the tree for more damage.

They continued this state of back and forth for an hour straight, the eventual fatigue caused by the sparring taking its toll. Both martial artists temporally broke off from the conflict, taking a moment to regain their breathing.

"Do... do you yield?" Eliot panted, holding his knees as he stared at his opponent.

"N-not gonna happen." Hitomi responded, wiping off sweat from her forehead.

it became clear that neither opponent is willing to surrender to the other. Only one shall be the winner. Their eyes were locked in an intense gaze, analyzing each other for one final strike and end the battle once and for all. Simultaneously, both charged at each other with their fists raised. Eliot stuck first, releasing a forward strike to the stomach. Hitomi parried the attack with her own fist before pinning his arm in one direction, leaving his chest open for a direct push kick. The young man felt all the wind left out his body, stumbling backwards and coughing wildly. Seeing this as her chance to end the spar, the karate practitioner followed with a high kick, intending to knock Eliot down to the ground on his back.

The British teen avoided the strike at the last second, narrowly missing the Eurasian girl's attack. With her guard open and almost all of his energy evaporated, Eliot charged with an unexpected and desperate tackle, taking both himself and Hitomi to the ground. With his weight stopping her legs from moving, Eliot used his arms and pinned Hitomi, leaving her immobile.

With victory in his grasp, Eliot smiled. "Looks like I win." He proclaimed in confidence, hoping that if his master saw this fight, he would have been proud.

Still, despite the advantage he had over the karate practitioner, Eliot could have sworn he saw a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I was wrong Eliot, you _are_ the superior fighter." She complimented thought the British teen squinted his eyes at her, attempting to discern some kind of trick in her words. Regardless, Hitomi continued. "Not to mention you are more of a... mature fighter now than before." She added, her tone more coy before attempting to move slightly. Eliot was perplexed, he really did not understand what Hitomi is trying to do. Praising his ego? Or an obvious trick?

Hitomi then shifted slightly, moving her arms downwards closer to her chest. Quickly, Eliot pinned her arms again though the action had a side effect. The force of immobilizing Hitomi caused her breasts to shake. The fact that her T-shirt also had sweat stains only accentuated her breasts even further. Noticing this caused Eliot's face to burn a heavy crimson shade, feeling more bothered than their entire fight. This distraction, despite how brief it was, costed the young man as his embarrassment caused his grip to loosen which in turn allowed Hitomi to push Eliot off of her. Before the British boy could react, this time Hitomi pinned him instead, holding down his arms and looking down at Eliot with a victorious grin.

"Well, now we know who the true winner is." The brunette proclaimed though Eliot had other opinions.

"You cheated! That's not fair!" The British blonde retorted, his face red from either anger or from his previous embarrassment. Or both.

Hitomi's grin never wavered. "I didn't ask for you to look at my chest." She teased, causing Eliot's face to blush red even more.

"Hey, you did on purpose to get me..!" Eliot began to yell only to exhale and calm down. "Alright, I submit defeat... again. Now, would you please get off me?" The Xing Yi Quan practitioner requested, his voice low and soft. Hitomi wanted to tease him some more but her grin lessened at Eliot's defeated look. She did as requested, the two of them standing up with Eliot leaning back on the tree with his eyes closed and his arms folded across his chest.

Hitomi walked closer to Eliot, feeling concerned. "Hey, I'm sorry about that. I know it was a dirty trick." The karate practitioner apologized as Eliot met her gaze.

"No... it's fine." Eliot reassured her, color returning back to his face. "It's just... I have to train harder. I still have a long way to go." The British teen admitted before looking down to his feet. "I know Ayane wouldn't be impressed by me." He added quietly, more to himself though Hitomi heard his afterthought.

Sighing, Hitomi leaned against the tree as Eliot was. "I get it too." She agreed, causing the young man to look in her direction. "I know that feeling of trying to be the best you can be. That feeling for someone to _really_ notice you." The Eurasian girl said, her voice being soft. "It does hurt. But yeah... it sucks."

Eliot used his hand to move his hair out of his eyes before speaking. "I suppose we both need to improve, especially for the next tournament." He stated offhandedly before the two of them shared a mutual silence between them, with only the breeze making noise around them. After a minute, Eliot looked back at Hitomi once again. "Thanks by the way, I... needed a match to clear my head." He said with an appreciating grin.

Hitomi matched his grin with her own. "No problem. And to be fair, you are getting better. You landed more hits on me than you did in the tournament." The Eurasian girl complimented, glad that Eliot's attitude is more positive than before.

The British teen chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose I did." He whispered quietly before checking his watch. Widening his eyes, he stared at the time in surprise. "I should probably get back to Brad before he tries to burn the bar down for more whiskey." He lamented before picking up his coat as Hitomi did the same with her jacket.

"Yeah I should go find Leifang before she attracts the authorities." Hitomi agreed, the two ready to go their separate ways. But before leaving, there was one thing that the Eurasian girl wanted to do. "Eliot?" She asked, getting his attention.

"Yes?" He asked and was caught off-guard when Hitomi engulfed the British teen in a tight hug. Eliot, at first stunned, returned the sentiment as both fighters had content smiles on their faces. This was not a romantic hug but an embrace between two people who understood each other's affections for someone they want to be with. And embrace for wishes to become masters of their respective fighting forms. This is an embrace of empathy. This is an embrace of friendship.

The hug quickly ended as the air between the two lightened, their smiles never leaving their faces. Hitomi then reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper before proceeding to write numbers on it. "If you ever want to spar or just talk, let me know." She offered, handing Eliot the paper with her phone number.

He accepted the gesture and placed the piece of paper in his coat pocket. "I will." He promised before they started to walk away to go meet up with their respective friends. But before they walked too far, they gave each other a farewell wave and the knowledge that one day their dreams will come true.

* * *

Eliot suppressed the urge to laugh when he sees Brad being tossed out of the bar, the alcoholic banging on the door. "Oh come on. J-Just put it on my tab." Brad attempted to persuade the bouncer to let him back inside as he belched from the liquor earlier.

"I think you had enough Brad." Eliot spoke up, causing the hungover man to look behind at the voice. "You probably drank the entire bar." The British teen added as the Zui Quan master smirked.

"Well, look who it is." He announced, waving his arms in an overdramatic fashion. "And where the hell have you've been?" He asked, noticing Eliot's grin on his face.

"I needed to clear my head so I took a walk." The Xing Yi Quan practitioner replied, that grin still plastered on his face. "And I met an old friend." He also stated with Brad curious at that last statement.

"A friend huh?" He asked, the two walking off. "Would this friend happen to have drinks needing to be tasted?"

Eliot shook his head. "No, better; The drive to achieve our goals." He responded though Brad merely groaned in disappointment.

"That's lame." He lamented as Eliot's grin enlarged to a smile before laughing at his friend's reply, the British teen's spirits lifted as the Sun shined overhead.


End file.
